News from the Net Collected by Sue First some news from Acclaim about their upcoming game based on the TV series Alias. Alias ===== http://www.acclaim.com/company/pressReleases/product/Alias.html GLEN COVE, NY, January 27, 2003 -Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ.SC: AKLM), today announced that it has signed an agreement with Disney Interactive for the rights to publish video games based on ABC Television's hit drama series, "Alias." Currently in its second season, Alias is one of television's most critically acclaimed series. The Alias video game is currently being developed by Acclaim's Cheltenham studio and is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2003 across all of the next- generation gaming platforms. Alias will be a third-person action adventure video game that allows players to step into the role of the series' lead character, Sydney Bristow, an agent for the CIA. Bristow must use her cunning, extensive knowledge of martial arts and array of high- tech gadgetry to accomplish dangerous missions. Alias will encompass all of the key elements behind the series' success, including high-action combat, stealth missions and time-based objectives, espionage, intriguing plot twists, high-tech weaponry and stunning gameplay locations that span the globe. "Alias is one of the strongest new TV entertainment properties and is filled with great characters, rich storylines and incredible action that lends itself perfectly to interactive entertainment," said Evan Stein, Vice President of Marketing for Acclaim. "We are thrilled to have "Alias" join our portfolio of world-renowned licenses. " "With the strength of the storylines in Alias, we couldn't imagine a better venue of expression then through the world of video games," says Bruce Gersh, Vice President of Business Development at ABC. "We are excited about the prospect of a great game that will bring all the elements of the show to a new fan base in the gaming world." Alias was created by J.J. Abrams, who executive-produces the series along with John Eisendrath, Ken Olin, Alex Kurtzman- Counter, and Roberto Orci. The series, which is filmed in Los Angeles and premiered on September 30, 2001, is from Touchstone Television. Here are some new games from Mindscape. They are sequels to Traitors Gate and Schizm: http://www.mindscape.co.uk/products/ Cypher: Code of Ruin ==================== The sequel to Traitors Gate! Stealth. Intuition. Infiltration. Real Time 3D. Hardcore Adventure. Cypher: Code of Ruin is a challenging adventure game with masses of historical content. Rendered in real time 3D, utilizing the "NetImmerse" engine from NDL technologies, the game is played in third person view. Set in an ancient Babylonian location, Cypher compellingly combines brain-teasing challenges and exploration. The historically rich and beautifully rendered ancient environments, strong and believable main character and puzzles of different types and difficulty are complimented by the "James Bond meets Indiana Jones" like storyline of espionage and stealth. The player must conquer a series of devious and sometimes deadly challenges, originally built as part of the initiation rites of the Babylonian priesthood. This will place demands on both the player's intellect and motor skills. Features: - An adventure game combing stealth, exploration, espionage, gadgetry, with an immersive storyline - Engaging tactile, logic and environmental puzzles - Set in an ancient Babylonian location encompassing more than 30 chambers and rooms - NetImmerse 3D engine also used to build: Freedom Force, Star Trek BridgeCommander, Dark Age of Camelot, and US Racer and Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Schizm II: Chameleon ==================== Sequel to the best-selling adventure Schizm Take on the role of Sen, a young man who awakens in a cryogenic sleeper pod aboard a derelict space station orbiting a desolate world. He is alarmed to discover that he has no memories of whom or where he is. Sarpendon, the desolate planet below, was once a thriving highly advanced world, enjoying the wonders of a golden age. But when an alien spaceship entered its system, two factions formed: those wanting to make contact with the alien vessel and those who didn't. Explore the new worlds with "Chameleon" technology allowing you to impersonate members of the feuding tribes. Learn the history of how this new world came to be and your true origins will be revealed. Features: Sequel to the Best-Selling Schizm: Mysterious Journey, which has sold over 260,000 units worldwide Next Generation: Non-linear gameplay with freedom to fully explore all environments Based on the advanced 3D Jupiter engine used in the smash hit No One Lives Forever 2 A completely non-violent, pure graphic adventure game A huge science-fiction fantasy themed game encompassing over 40 locations with 30 different puzzles A fully orchestrated, original, background soundtrack with in- game ambient audio Here's the latest from Electronic Arts: www.ea.com SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition ======================== SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition includes the bestselling SimCity 4 and the all-new SimCity 4 Rush Hour Expansion Pack. Create the most massive region of cities ever, with a farming town, bedroom community, high-tech commercial center, and industrial backbone. Take complete control of your city's transportation system and solve U-Drive-It missions from fighting crime to tackling disasters. Watch your population skyrocket as you get your Sims on the go. Create the ultimate living, breathing megalopolis -- the most expansive compilation ever. And the Sims Online has entered an art exhibition! Sims Online =========== REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--Jan. 13, 2004--Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS) today announced that The Sims Online PC online game will be featured in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts' upcoming "Bang the Machine: Computer Gaming Art and Artifacts" exhibit. This new exhibition explores the history and influence of computer game culture and the extraordinary relationship between interactive computer games and contemporary art. As part of the exhibit, a real-life recreation of a room from The Sims Online game and a virtual representation of the exhibit in the game will be featured. The exhibit's opening event is Friday, January 16th, 2004, from 8-11 pm, and the exhibition runs from January 17 through April 4, 2004. Electronic Arts will be hosting a press event on January 16th, 2004, between 6:30-8 pm. At the event, Will Wright, creator of The Sims(TM) and The Sims Online franchises, will give a brief speech on how The Sims Online has truly blurred the lines between reality and virtual reality. In addition, in support of the fans that have made the game a success, Electronic Arts is extending an invitation to Sims fans to join the exhibit's opening night fun. All Sims fans attending the opening night event will be given a 50% discount on the $12 entry fee, courtesy of EA. "We are thrilled that The Sims Online has impacted popular culture to such a large degree that it is being represented as part of this exhibit," said Erick Hachenburg, Senior Vice President Global Publishing. "This game lets our players create their own worlds to live and play in, and this exhibit exemplifies the spirit and creativity of The Sims Online players." Katherine Isbister and Rainey Straus are the artists behind The Sims Online exhibit. They will construct a virtual recreation of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Galleries in the online gaming environment of The Sims Online. Isbister and Straus will also recreate the look of The Sims Online environment in the physical space of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts complex. Based on The Sims (the top-selling PC game of all time), The Sims Online is a massive online world built from the imaginations of tens of thousands of players. Since its launch in 2002, The Sims Online has built a strong community with tens of thousands of people each day meeting each other, falling in love, building friendships, throwing parties, and having fun in the game. In addition, the developers and players are constantly expanding and reinventing the game's universe. In this alternate reality, players create and control the actions of a character known as a Sim. Players enter the world with a bankroll (called Simoleons) to spend as they wish. They can purchase their own piece of land to do with as they please, or join with other players to create homes, coffee bars, or dance clubs. In the recently released version, Sims can embark on a whole new range of exciting job opportunities, where Sims actually get to do the work instead of having the work action happen off-screen; own pets for a new level of mischievous fun; and employ service Sims to help Sims take care of their properties and daily activities, and new hobbies. The Sims Online players get to know other Sims through live text chat and private instant messages. Important information on The Sims Online, including terms of service and game availability, can be found at http://www.thesimsonline.com. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ======================================== And Harry Potter fans can look forward to his next PC adventure, coming soon to a PC near you: Next Instalment in Successful Franchise Allows Gamers to Play as Harry, Ron, or Hermione as They Face Harry's Most Terrifying Opponents yet: the Escaped Convict Sirius Black and the Dreaded Dementors of Azkaban REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - December 18, 2003 - Harry Potter fans will experience the magic and peril of Harry's third year at Hogwarts in the highly anticipated Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban videogame shipping in spring 2004, Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today. For the first time gamers will play as friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger as well as Harry Potter, switching between characters and utilizing their key attributes and skills to resolve challenges and overcome enemies. The three friends will need to combine their strengths and master a variety of new spells as they face Harry's most terrifying opponents yet: the escaped convict Sirius Black and the Dementors, the sinister guards of Azkaban prison. From the opening scene on the Hogwarts Express to the climatic finale on the shore of the great lake at Hogwarts, the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban videogame will immerse players in the magical world of Harry Potter. Players will unravel the mystery surrounding Sirius Black and his escape from the infamous wizard prison Azkaban, as they take part in the most exciting and challenging Harry Potter videogame adventure yet. Gamers will encounter a host of new characters and creatures, engage in a variety of sub-quests, fly on a Hippogriff, reveal the secrets of the Marauder's Map, and take on their friends in multiple two-player challenges. - o -